Blacksmith shop at the Corn Maze

[Digital_photog]

As some of you know from my other posts I have set up a blacksmith shop at the Knollbrook Farm Corn Maze. Amy Feil, the chainsaw carver took these pictures last weekend.

 

[Field King]

cool, can u make some chain links and chain from 3/8 round A36 to make a pot hanger chain for my fire tri pod? I have the steel?

 

[Digital_photog]

Today the maze owners youngest son brought out an old railroad bridge spike and asked me if I could make a knife. I have made a few knives but none from anything like that. This one was real rusted and pitted and I wasn't too sure that it would turn out any good but did try. I'm very happy how it turned out. The pitting still shows but after annealing it so I could work the metal and then hardening it I am very pleased with the way the edge turned out. It is sharp enough to shave. Hard enough to hold a good edge but not so hard that it is impossible to sharpen. Originally I thought I would wrap the handle in leather but decided I like the look of the pitted steel handle so won't be doing that. I have finished the leather holster for it but don't have pictures of that yet. I did forge the knife in the coal forge and not the gas I was using in the pictures earlier in the thread.

The professional knife makers here may not think that this is much. I make all my knives out of scrap material that I salvage. It is fun to see what I get from throw away trash. This one I am happy with.

 

[Digital_photog]

Also today I was making some chain I got 11 links made before the fire went too low to forge weld. The coal I have isn't good for welding. It has too much sulfur. I was welding with charcoal but ran out of that. You can't use charcoal briquettes because they have impurities in them. It takes pure hardwood charcoal to forge good.

 

[arma73]

Nice job on the knife, fantastic conversational piece that's functional.

 

[HamsterStyle]

Looks great. I work in an ornamental iron shop and greatly appreciate this work. I have tried time and time again to do a little forging and my boss just makes it loom too easy. Lol

 

[Farmerjon]

Excellent products. Metal looked cold to be hammering in the photos, but am not talking smack, you are the one working and it is work, hot work. Your past discussion about this created a stir, now I am itching to put my old coal forge back together to get some items built and repaired. Great job!!

 

[Digital_photog]

Excellent products. Metal looked cold to be hammering in the photos, but am not talking smack, you are the one working and it is work, hot work. Your past discussion about this created a stir, now I am itching to put my old coal forge back together to get some items built and repaired. Great job!!

With the bright sun the color didn't show up too much, and on some of the pictures Amy took them when I was about ready to heat again. The wind was cooling that small rod off fast.

 

[Cemetery-man]

That is so cool! I use to love to sit and watch the blacksmith at the covered bridge festival turn plain steel objects into works of art and that sound can't be beat.

 

[sepe]

That railroad spike knife is pretty sweet. Be nice around a campsite. I'll take 2.

 

[Digital_photog]

The project is finished.
Spent about 2 hours on it. 1 hour on the knife and another on the sheath.
I hope Lucas is happy with it. If he isn't I'll keep it.

 

[96firephoenix]

Nice! I love the look of it, and I imagine that would be really useful.

 

[Digital_photog]

On another forum they convinced me to wrap the handle with leather.

I't finished. Don't try to talk me into doing more to it.

 

[DaKruiser]

Awsome work! I love that anvil! Someday I will grow up and have one just like that!

 

[sepe]

I really like the knife pre-wrap. Could see myself using that thing quite a bit.

 

[Digital_photog]

I really like the knife pre-wrap. Could see myself using that thing quite a bit.

I like it without the wrap. If Lucas decides he doesn't want the wrap it isn't hard to remove. On another forum they felt it would be safer to have it wrapped for a kid. Well.... early teens now. I will leave it on for him to decide how he wants it. Now the problem is that both of his older brothers want me to make knives for them too. Looks like I need to be working the blacksmith shop this winter. I need to make some knives and other items to have them ready for the Oswego Trader Days Rendezvous in May. They want me to set up the shop there.

 

[sepe]

I might have to check in with you in the spring. I'm sure my 5 year old nephew would enjoy the Oswego Trader Days.

 

[Digital_photog]

UPSP brought me 60 of these today.
Now the big problem. What do I make with them?

 

[tyler34]

UPSP brought me 60 of these today.
Now the big problem. What do I make with them?

KNIVES!!!!!!!!

 

[tyler34]

and send one my way to throw a wicked edge on it.